Gonzalo Higuaín (69 Viewers)

[Post Ironic]

I don’t think you understand the term “choke”. The Falcons for example still chocked against the New England Patriots even if they scored a very high number of points. Choke means not being able to score when it counts. That’s what Higuain does time and time again.

He scored two goals, so that's great, but he also missed a penalty, and an absolute sitter that could have likely finished off the match. Of course Higgy isn't exclusively to blame. Mandzukic missed a free header to make it 3-1 with both sides of the net wide open, headed straight at Lloris. Benatia skied a free header too. Buffon had a nightmare, especially that free kick goal, and the chiellini giveaway for the first goal was bad too.

All the same we had the majoritye of the good chances. We played like garbage, and still Higgy scored a good goal, A penalty, missed a penalty, missed a sitter, Mandzu missed an easy header, Benatia missed a free header, and Lloris pulled off a stunning save on Bernadeschi. 7 good chances.

Tottenham had 3 chances. The two goals, one of which was terrible keeping from Gigi, and Buffon's great save on Kane.

While they dominated play, once again a team created very little against us in terms of clearcut chances. I'd like to see us play with more control and assertiveness than last night, it's clear we were too deep, and players made far too many stupid mistakes and errors. But it is also pretty clear we still managed to create the lion's share of the clearcut chances, and poor finishing did not help our cause either.

 

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[Bavarian]

this guy is Thiago Silva of strikers

 

[campionesidd]

After 23 years as a Juve fan, where I have endured Calciopoli, Capello-football and five CL-finals without a win, I've found it necessary to support a team that will delight me with great attacking football and Champions League victories

BLAUGRANA!

Lol, good one. What was the name of that guy that f’ed off to Barca forums after we got relegated?

 

[Hist]

I don’t think you understand the term “choke”. The Falcons for example still chocked against the New England Patriots even if they scored a very high number of points. Choke means not being able to score when it counts. That’s what Higuain does time and time again.

The first goal and the second goal are both "when it counts" moments. Its only in retrospect that you know that these didnt end the game. At the time, this should have closed the game.

 

[ALC]

The first goal and the second goal are both "when it counts" moments. Its only in retrospect that you know that these didnt end the game. At the time, this should have closed the game.

So did PSG not choke when they lost to Barca? They scored like 7 goals. You can twist that however you want, the fact is that Higuain is a proven choker and missing a penalty is the best way to prove that. Didn’t even get it on target.

 

[Cerval]

So did PSG not choke when they lost to Barca? They scored like 7 goals. You can twist that however you want, the fact is that Higuain is a proven choker and missing a penalty is the best way to prove that. Didn’t even get it on target.

Had we won, would you still say he choked?

 

[Stephan]

Do not agree about him not having options from bench.

Why, for starters, he goes an all out attack formation he never uses. He knew he had injured players, why go 4231 with ALL our atatcker in the line up and no bench? Just why?

He never does that even against the beneventos of the world buthe does against totenham in a crunch tie? He is sooo conservative with his line ups everygame using the same plan, but goes all gung ho in this game with an injured ridden bench.

I just cant understand this.

He could have gone 433 and bench costa or mandz, while using a line of 3 mids. We have bene using this with success, and is the only way we can balance this team anyways.

Its all on him IMO

Did you watch the game? We didnt play 4-2-3-1. Berna played in a 3 man midfield from what i saw. That was part of the problem. Berna was playing out of his natural position.

Also Mandzu played quite deep first half, so it wasnt at all a 4-2-3-1. Mandzu came back to cover left side deep, Berna played in right side of the 3 man midfield. This is how we lined up first half:


DSC------Ben-----Chil------Sandro
-----Berna----Pjanic-----Khed------
----------------------------------Mandzu
-----------------Costa-----------------
---------------Higuain----------------


If anything we played Berna and Costa both too much in central mid. Yesterday convinced me that Costa is much more effective wide, cause when he went to wide, we won the penalty from his wide left run.

Costa is much better wide, and he can cross or dribble past his marker or cause dangerous situation which will end up in a penalty or a corner kick.

And Berna was largely ineffective cause he is not a CM/DM.

But that comes then down to not having Matuidi.

Marchisio must have form issues, and i think talent wise Berna is more talented player probably than Sturaro/Asamoah, so yeah maybe Allegri went with a gamble.




But i think the early lead didnt help us also, cause then it became a case of, wow we have this 2 goal lead, lets maintain this and not make mistakes, if everyone push forward it means that we will leave gaps which Tottenham can punish, so thats why maybe Berna was kept playing in a 3 man midfield.

Berna didnt play in some wide attacking role yesterday large part of the game, 2nd half when the wheels had come off, he went for couple of shots but first half he played CM.

 

[Hydde]

Did you watch the game? We didnt play 4-2-3-1. Berna played in a 3 man midfield from what i saw. That was part of the problem. Berna was playing out of his natural position.

Also Mandzu played quite deep first half, so it wasnt at all a 4-2-3-1. Mandzu came back to cover left side deep, Berna played in right side of the 3 man midfield. This is how we lined up first half:


DSC------Ben-----Chil------Sandro
-----Berna----Pjanic-----Khed------
----------------------------------Mandzu
-----------------Costa-----------------
---------------Higuain----------------


If anything we played Berna and Costa both too much in central mid. Yesterday convinced me that Costa is much more effective wide, cause when he went to wide, we won the penalty from his wide left run.

Costa is much better wide, and he can cross or dribble past his marker or cause dangerous situation which will end up in a penalty or a corner kick.

And Berna was largely ineffective cause he is not a CM/DM.

But that comes then down to not having Matuidi.

Marchisio must have form issues, and i think talent wise Berna is more talented player probably than Sturaro/Asamoah, so yeah maybe Allegri went with a gamble.




But i think the early lead didnt help us also, cause then it became a case of, wow we have this 2 goal lead, lets maintain this and not make mistakes, if everyone push forward it means that we will leave gaps which Tottenham can punish, so thats why maybe Berna was kept playing in a 3 man midfield.

Berna didnt play in some wide attacking role yesterday large part of the game, 2nd half when the wheels had come off, he went for couple of shots but first half he played CM.

Its even worst that what i saw in the pregame and in the game itself. Wtf with costa in the hole? Why berna as DM? What was the point of mandz all allone there?.

Pure madness

 

[Stephan]

Its even worst that what i saw in the pregame and in the game itself. Wtf with costa in the hole? Why berna as DM? What was the point of mandz all allone there?.

Pure madness

I think Costa was supposed to emulate Dybala role in the midfield (he used to play AM at Shaktar) Mandzu has been playing wide left for a year now so hardly a surprise.


BTW there is a large problem if we had played a 4-3-3. What is the front 3?

I would have gone with a Costa---Higuain---Berna

But Mandzu has been a proven player for us these years and a big game player and hard worker.

Imagine if Mandzu was benched for this game? The bashing here would have been enormous.

 

[Hydde]

I think Costa was supposed to emulate Dybala role in the midfield (he used to play AM at Shaktar) Mandzu has been playing wide left for a year now so hardly a surprise.


BTW there is a large problem if we had played a 4-3-3. What is the front 3?

I would have gone with a Costa---Higuain---Berna

But Mandzu has been a proven player for us these years and a big game player and hard worker.

Imagine if Mandzu was benched for this game? The bashing here would have been enormous.

Perosnally i would have gone with douglas because he is a winger and manzu isnt. But thats according to me.

Allegri would have gone mandz higgi berna, which would have been ok with me because is closer to what we always do. And we would have had costa on the bench in case we needed to go for a goal, which we needed and had no offensive player on the bench

 

[Stephan]

Perosnally i would have gone with douglas because he is a winger and manzu isnt. But thats according to me.

Allegri would have gone mandz higgi berna, which would have been ok with me because is closer to what we always do. And we would have had costa on the bench in case we needed to go for a goal, which we needed and had no offensive player on the bench

Nah

Allegri would have gone

Mandz--Higuain--Costa

 

[Hydde]

Nah

Allegri would have gone

Mandz--Higuain--Costa

Would have been ok too. I was counting with berna for the viola game. Was a surprise to me to see him starting, a pleasant one.

Still, the thing was to keep some balance and have one offensive dude with fresh legs just in case, preferably costa who works better than berna on breaks and can pull a cuadrado on counters

 

[MikeM]

It was a clear 4-4-2 with Costa playing as Dybala except he was asked to drop into midfield as much as he could.

Bernardeschi was sometimes inside because their wingers would come inside. He was in no way a CM. All you have to do is look at our CBs and see there was no triangle formed with a DM. Instead Pjanic and Khedira were split.

Berna was in no way a DM. He did his best to emulate what Cuadrado does in the 4-4-2 which is to basically run everywhere and plug holes like his hair is on fire. Because defending with only 4 midfielders is a fucking shit show.

 

[X Æ A-12]

It was a clear 4-4-2 with Costa playing as Dybala except he was asked to drop into midfield as much as he could.

Bernardeschi was sometimes inside because their wingers would come inside. He was in no way a CM. All you have to do is look at our CBs and see there was no triangle formed with a DM. Instead Pjanic and Khedira were split.

Berna was in no way a DM. He did his best to emulate what Cuadrado does in the 4-4-2 which is to basically run everywhere and plug holes like his hair is on fire. Because defending with only 4 midfielders is a fucking shit show.

Say we smarten up, play 4-3-3 and have Matuidi back for the return leg. Who plays RCM?

 

[Stephan]

4-4-2?

 

[MikeM]

Say we smarten up, play 4-3-3 and have Matuidi back for the return leg. Who plays RCM?

It will 100% be Khedira judging by the pattern of our past seasons.

 

[X Æ A-12]

It will 100% be Khedira judging by the pattern of our past seasons.

who would you play?

 

[MikeM]

who would you play?

I would experiment with Berna there in the league leading up to Spurs. We need a result at Wembley. We know Spurs will counter press and press hard, Khedira is overrun, can't transition to attack.

There's nothing Pjanic can do when he gets on a ball in his own 3rd. You see him look up, turn, look up again. There are multiple Spurs coming. Khedira offers nothing vertically where Pjanic can play a ball.

Spurs are wide the fuck open if you can break the DM that commits all the time. Either Dembele or Dier, and then their back line is in 6s and 7s with that high line.

- - - Updated - - -

4-4-2?

It's clear as day man. Whatever you posted up there is just where our players got dragged by Spurs. If Spurs winger comes inside, Berna comes inside. Doesn't mean he's DM.

Except somehow you put Khedira to the left of Pjanic. I don't think I've seen him on the left of Pjanic once all year, certainly not yesterday. So I don't know how you got that.

 

[Hydde]

Thats why i was confused too. I never have seen us play like what he posted.

 

[Stephan]

I said that was yesterday not all season long. Frankly i dont care where Khedira was playing cause he was nowhere to be seen.

But Berna played RCM first half. He didnt play some wide role and dont tell me now how they had to adjust according to Tottenham lineup. Well did they? Berna was largely ineffective. Even if you think he didnt play rcm. He should not have played so deep.